A SENIOR social worker has told how she feared for her life after a telephone caller threatened to kill her.

Patrick Lennon called an office of Cheshire County Council's social services department earlier this year and told a colleague of Christine Tomlins he knew where she lived and said: 'I'll kill the bitch.'

After the incident Mrs Tomlins immediately described Lennon to members of her family as part of a bid to prevent him from getting close to her.

Lennon, 40, of Plas Dinas, Blacon, went on trial at Chester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday where he was found guilty of using a telecommunications system to send a menacing message. He denied the charge.

He pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to the court after arriving late for his trial. He was fined #20.

Lennon called Mrs Tomlins's office at about 3.30pm on January 22 and spoke to secretary Marilyn Edwards but he became abusive towards her and said Mrs Tomlins 'had lied' to him about a matter.

Lennon then went on to threaten Mrs Tomlins by telling Mrs Edwards: 'I'll kill the bitch. I am going to do her, I'll smash her head in.'

But Mrs Edwards noted Lennon's remarks and he was later arrested at his home, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Mrs Tomlins said she had been a social worker in Chester for about 18 years but said she was off work ill the day Lennon called.

'I felt very concerned. Very vulnerable,' she said. 'I knew him to be quite a violent man. I felt very concerned for myself and my family. I spoke to my family and described him.'

Mrs Edwards said Lennon described himself as Paddy Lennon when he made the telephone call. 'He was getting quit e angry. He was quite aggressive,' she said.

'He said he knew where she (Mrs Tomlins) lived. He said he'd knock her head off and that he would like to kill her.'

Diarmuid Flood, defending, said Lennon was not the most 'gifted' person and said he was no contender for the Nobel Prize. Lennon said he did not make the call and spent the afternoon on a push bike riding around Saltney.

But magistrates rejected Lennon's evidence. They adjourned for reports and left all sentencing options open.

Lennon was released on unconditional bail and will appear in court later this month.